[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 37 (Monday, September 15, 2003)]
[Pages 1173-1178]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Bush-Cheney Reception in Jacksonville, Florida

September 9, 2003

    Thank you all very much. Glad you're here. Thanks for coming. It's 
great to be in Florida. It's great to be with a great Governor. 
[Laughter] I'm not surprised he has been so successful; we both share 
the same political consultant--[laughter]--Mother. [Laughter]

[[Page 1174]]

    Thanks for coming. This is a huge crowd, and it's a good sign. Today 
we're laying the groundwork for what is going to be a great national 
victory in November of 2004. Jeb is right. I'm going to need your help. 
I'm going to need your help in putting up the signs. I'm going to need 
your help when you go to those coffee shops, to talk it up, put out the 
mailers. I want you to remind people that the vision I have for America 
is optimistic and hopeful for every single citizen who lives in this 
country.
    The politics season--you know, there's a lot of talk about politics 
these days. And I'm loosening up. [Laughter] I'm getting ready. The 
truth of the matter is, the political season will come in its own time, 
because I've got a job to do. I've got to do the people's work, people's 
business. And there's a lot on the agenda. And I want you to know, as 
friends and supporters, I will continue to work hard to earn the 
confidence of all Americans by keeping this Nation strong and secure and 
prosperous and free.
    I regret that Laura is not traveling with me today. She is a 
fabulous First Lady. I was a lucky man when she said, ``Yes, I agree to 
marry you.'' I love her dearly, and I'm proud of the job she's doing on 
behalf of all Americans.
    Just like I love my brother. He's a courageous man. He's a strong 
man. He stands on principle, and nothing can shake him.
    I appreciate my friends Al Hoffman and Tom Petway and Johnny Rood 
and Zach Zachariah, and you all for making this a spectacular event. I 
want to thank my friend Mercer Reynolds from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is 
the national finance chairman. There's this fellow who has taken time 
out of his life to go help us raise the monies necessary to wage a 
viable campaign in 2004.
    I appreciate the fact that we've got elected officials with us 
today. The Lieutenant Governor, Toni Jennings, is with us. The attorney 
general is with us, Charlie Crist. I appreciate the speaker, Johnnie 
Byrd, being here today. I want to thank Jim King, the senate president. 
I had a chance to ride in the limousine with the mayor of this great 
city, John Peyton. It didn't seem like traffic was a problem for--to me. 
[Laughter]
    I want to thank Carole Jean Jordan, who is the chairwoman of the 
Republican Party, for being here.
    You know, we're here at a--I appreciate so very much a really fine, 
strong man, a man of great character, Jack Del Rio, who is the head 
coach of the Jaguars, for joining us today. I'm real proud he came. And 
I'm honored that the quarterback and his wife, Mark Brunell, came with 
us. I want to tell you something about him. He didn't say to me, ``Can 
you still run a fly pattern?'' He didn't say, ``How are you on the down 
and out?'' He said, ``Mr. President, my family prays for you.'' I'm 
proud that both have come.
    Before I begin, I do want to make mention of former Congressman 
Charles Bennett, a man who served his country and this community, 
longstanding United States Congressman from this part of the country, 
who is an honest, honorable, decent man who loved America. Today I know 
that he's being buried, and our thoughts and prayers go to his family 
during this tough moment. And we thank Congressman Bennett for being 
such a great American.
    In the last 2\1/2\ years, our Nation has acted decisively to 
confront great challenges. I came to this office to solve problems 
instead of passing them on to future Presidents and future generations. 
I came to seize opportunities instead of letting them slip away. This 
administration is meeting the tests of our time.
    Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is 
what they got. We have captured or killed many key leaders of Al Qaida. 
And I can assure you, we're on the trail of the rest of them.
    In Afghanistan, in Iraq, we gave ultimatums to terror regimes. Those 
regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. Fifty million 
people in those two countries once lived under tyranny, and today they 
live in freedom.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, our military was not receiving the 
resources it needed, and morale was beginning to suffer. We increased 
the defense budget to prepare for the threats of a new era, and today no 
one in the world can question the skill and the strength and the spirit 
of the United States military.

[[Page 1175]]

    Two-and-a-half years ago, we inherited an economy in recession. And 
then the attacks came on our country, and we had corporate scandals, and 
we began to march to war, which all affected the people's confidence. 
But we acted. We passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to 
account. And I twice led the United States Congress to historic tax 
relief to get our economy going again.
    I understand this, that when Americans have more take-home pay to 
spend, to save, to invest, the whole economy grows, and someone is more 
likely to be able to find a job. I also understand whose money we spend 
in Washington, DC. It's not the Government's money. It's the people's 
money. So we're returning more money to Americans to help them raise 
their families. We're reducing taxes on dividends and capital gains to 
encourage investment. We're giving small businesses incentives to expand 
so they can hire new people.
    With all these actions, this administration has taken bold steps to 
lay the foundation for greater prosperity and for more jobs across 
America, so that every one of our citizens can realize the American 
Dream.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, there was a lot of talk about education 
reform, but there wasn't much action. So I called for and the Congress 
passed the No Child Left Behind Act, and we passed it with a solid 
bipartisan majority. And by doing so, we delivered the most dramatic 
education reforms at the Federal level in a generation. We're bringing 
high standards, strong accountability measures to every public school in 
America.
    We're bringing to the country what Governor Jeb Bush has brought to 
Florida, the belief that every single child can learn, the belief that 
every school must be challenged to make sure that they teach the basics 
of reading and math. Just like your Governor is doing here, we're doing 
nationwide. We are challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. The 
days of excuse-making are over. In return for Federal money, we expect 
results in every classroom all across America, so that not one single 
child is left behind.
    During that 2\1/2\ period, we reorganized the Government and created 
the Department of Homeland Security to better safeguard our ports and 
borders and better protect the American people. We passed trade 
promotion authority to open up new markets for Florida's farmers and 
ranchers and manufacturers and entrepreneurs. We passed much needed 
budget agreements to bring spending discipline to Washington, DC. On 
issue after issue, this administration has acted on principle. We've 
kept our word, and we've made progress on behalf of the American people.
    The United States Congress shares in these great achievements, and I 
want to thank the members of the Florida congressional delegation for 
working closely with the administration--some members of the Florida 
congressional delegation. [Laughter] I've got a great relationship with 
Leader Bill Frist and Speaker Denny Hastert. We're working hard to 
change the tone of Washington, DC, to end all the needless partisan 
bickering, to elevate the discourse, to focus on results so the people 
know that we're doing their business.
    And those are the kind of people I've attracted to my 
administration. I have put together a great team of honorable, decent 
people to serve the American people. Our country has had no finer Vice 
President than Vice President Dick Cheney. Mother may have a second 
opinion. [Laughter]
    In 2\1/2\ years--in 2\1/2\ years, we have done a lot, and we've come 
far. But our work is only beginning. I have set great goals worthy of a 
great nation. First, America is committed to expanding the realm of 
freedom and peace for our own security and for the benefit of the world. 
And second, in our own country, we must work for a society of prosperity 
and compassion, so that every citizen--every single citizen--has a 
chance to work and succeed and realize the great promise of our country.
    It is clear that the future of freedom and peace depend on the 
actions of America. This Nation is freedom's home. This Nation is 
freedom's defender. We welcome this charge of history, and we are 
keeping it.
    Our war on terror continues. The enemies of freedom are not idle, 
and neither are we. This country will not rest; we will not tire; we 
will not stop until this danger to civilization is removed. We are 
confronting that

[[Page 1176]]

danger in Iraq, where Saddam Hussein's holdouts and foreign terrorists 
are desperately trying to throw Iraq into chaos by attacking coalition 
forces and aid workers and innocent Iraqis.
    And there's a reason. They know that the advance of freedom in Iraq 
will be a major cause of defeat for terror. This collection of killers 
is trying to shape the will of the civilized world. They're challenging 
the resolve of the United States of America. This country will not be 
intimidated.
    We are aggressively striking the terrorists in Iraq, defeating them 
there so we will not have to face them in our own country. We're calling 
on other nations to help Iraq build a free country which will make us 
all more secure. We're standing with the Iraqi people as they assume 
more of their own defense and move toward self-government. These aren't 
easy tasks, but they're essential tasks. And we will finish what we have 
begun. We will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
    Our greatest security comes from the advance of human liberty, 
because free nations do not support terror. Free nations do not attack 
their neighbors. Free nations do not threaten the world with weapons of 
mass terror. Americans believe that freedom is the deepest need and the 
deepest hope of every human heart. And I believe that freedom is the 
right of every person and the future of every nation.
    America also understands that unprecedented influence brings 
tremendous responsibilities. We have duties in the world. And when we 
see disease and starvation and hopeless poverty, we will not turn away. 
On the continent of Africa, America is now committed to bringing the 
healing power of medicine to millions of men and women and children now 
suffering with AIDS. This great land, this compassionate people, is 
leading the world in the incredibly important work of human rescue.
    We've got challenges here at home, and there's no doubt our actions 
will prove that we're equal to those challenges. I'm going to continue 
to work to create an environment that is strong for the entrepreneur and 
creates the conditions for economic growth. Just so long as somebody is 
looking for a job who wants to work and can't find one, says to me we've 
got a problem. Economic vitality, to me, means Americans will be able to 
find a job.
    We have a duty to keep our commitment to America's seniors by 
strengthening and modernizing Medicare. The United States Congress took 
historic action in both bodies to improve the lives of older Americans. 
For the first time since the creation of Medicare, the House and the 
Senate have passed reforms to increase choices for our seniors and to 
provide coverage for prescription drugs. They are now back from 
vacation. It is time for the House and the Senate to reconcile their 
differences, to keep our promises to not only the seniors of today but 
those of us who are fixing to be seniors tomorrow, and modernize the 
Medicare system.
    For the sake of our health care system, we need to cut down on the 
frivolous lawsuits which increase the cost of medicine. And I appreciate 
the leadership of Governor Jeb Bush on this issue here in the State of 
Florida. Listen, people who have been harmed by a bad doc deserve their 
day in court, no question about it. Yet the system should not reward 
lawyers who are simply fishing for a rich settlement.
    Because frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of health care, they 
affect the Federal budget. And therefore, medical liability reform is a 
national issue that requires a national solution. I submitted a good 
plan to the Congress. The House of Representative acted. The Senate 
hadn't. Senators must understand that no one in America has ever been 
healed by a frivolous lawsuit. We need medical liability reform now.
    I have a responsibility as President to make sure the judicial 
system runs well, and I have met that duty. I have named superb men and 
women for the Federal courts, people who will interpret the law, not 
legislate from the bench. Yet, some Members of the Senate are trying to 
keep my nominees off the bench by blocking up-or-down votes. Every 
judicial nominee deserves a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote on the 
Senate floor. It is time for some Members of the United States Senate to 
stop playing politics with American justice.

[[Page 1177]]

    This country needs a comprehensive energy plan. I have proposed a 
comprehensive energy plan, and the Congress needs to complete its work 
on a plan. Listen, we need to modernize the electricity grid. We need to 
encourage new investment into the electricity grids all across America, 
and we need to make sure that the reliability standards are mandatory, 
not voluntary. We need new sources of energy. We need to use our 
technology to find alternative sources of energy. We need to use our 
technologies to encourage conservation. We need to use our technologies 
so that we can explore for environmentally friendly ways for new energy. 
What this country needs for economic security and national security is 
to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    Our strong and prosperous Nation must also be a compassionate 
nation. I will continue to advance our agenda of compassionate 
conservatism. We will apply the best and most innovative ideas to the 
task of helping our fellow citizens who hurt.
    There are still millions of men and women who want to end their 
dependence on the Government and become independent through hard work. 
We must build on the success of welfare reform to bring work and dignity 
into the lives of more of our fellow citizens. Congress should complete 
the ``Citizen Service Act'' so that more Americans will serve their 
communities and their country. And both Houses should reach agreement on 
my Faith-Based Initiative, which will support the armies of compassion 
that are mentoring our children, that are caring for the homeless, that 
are offering hope to the addicted. This Nation should not fear faith. We 
ought to welcome faith into the compassionate delivery of help to those 
who suffer.
    A compassionate society must promote opportunity for all, including 
the dignity that comes from ownership. This administration will 
constantly strive to promote an ownership society all across America. We 
want more of our citizens owning their own home. Today in America, we 
have a minority homeownership gap. I have proposed plans to the United 
States Congress to reduce that gap, and they must act.
    We want more people owning and controlling their own health care 
plans. We want Americans being able to own and control their own 
retirement accounts. We want more people owning their own small 
business, because I understand and this administration understands that 
when a person owns something, he or she has a vital stake in the future 
of the United States of America.
    In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take 
responsibility for the decisions they make. The culture of this country 
is changing from one that has said, ``If it feels good, do it,'' and 
``If you've got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a new culture in 
which each of us understands that we are responsible for the decisions 
we make in life. If you are fortunate enough to be a mom or a dad, 
you're responsible for loving your child with all your heart and all 
your soul. If you're worried about the quality of the education in the 
community in which you live, you're responsible for doing something 
about it. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you are responsible for 
telling the truth to your employees and your shareholders. And in a 
responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our 
neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourself.
    The culture of service and responsibility is growing around us in 
America. I started what's called the USA Freedom Corps, an opportunity 
for people to serve in their communities. And the response has been 
strong. Our faith-based community is strong. Charitable programs are 
vibrant. Americans are hearing the call to serve something greater than 
themselves. After all, our policemen, firefighters, people who wear the 
Nation's uniform are reminding us on a daily basis what it means to 
sacrifice for something greater than yourself. Once again, the children 
of America believe in heroes, because they see them every day.
    In these challenging times, the world has seen the resolve and the 
courage of America. And I have been privileged to see the compassion and 
the character of the American people. All the tests of the last 2\1/2\ 
years have come to the right Nation. We're a strong country, and we use 
that strength to defend the peace. We're an optimistic country, 
confident in ourselves and in ideals bigger than ourselves.

[[Page 1178]]

    Abroad, we seek to lift whole Nations by spreading freedom. At home, 
we seek to lift up lives by spreading opportunity to every corner of our 
country. This is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it. 
And we know that for our country and our cause, the best days lie ahead.
    May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless America. Thank 
you all.

Note: The President spoke at 12:21 p.m. in the Touchdown Club at Alltel 
Stadium. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush and Lt. Gov. Toni 
Jennings of Florida; Charlie Crist, Florida State attorney general; 
Johnnie Byrd, speaker, Florida State house of representatives; James E. 
``Jim'' King, Jr., president, Florida State senate; Mayor John Peyton of 
Jacksonville; Al Hoffman, finance chairman, Republican National 
Committee; Tom Petway III and Zach Zachariah, Florida State finance 
cochairmen, and Mercer Reynolds, national finance chairman, Bush-Cheney 
'04, Inc.; Carole Jean Jordan, chairwoman, and John Rood, finance vice 
chairman, Republican Party of Florida; Jack Del Rio, head coach, 
Jacksonville Jaguars football team, and Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell 
and his wife, Stacy; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.